What do you know?
by Nayokyo
Summary: He thought she was perfect. She thought he was perfect. What happens when that misconception shatters?
1. Chapter 1

"What? You think I _like_ this stupid attention?" He shouted even louder than the giant flat screen t.v.

She nodded curtly, her eyes dark and bright.

"They _stalk_ me! I once found this random girl in my room, _stealing_ my stuff!" His arms swung through the air in angry arcs. "How the hell does a random civilian break into Titan's Tower anyway?"

"Hey, man, you may be mad, but _no one_ insults the Tower!" Cyborg interjected before flinching back at the two's combined glare.

She rolled her eyes and he could have sworn they darted to the book sitting beside the living room's lamp. A growl escaped his throat, she was not disregarding this. It was much too large of a misconception, and although others thought it too, he thought that at least the other Titans would understand.

"I once went half blind after one of their picture sessions._ Blind!_ Do you know how many pranks a jerk like Speedy can think up to play on a blind man? Pink dye in my pool, that's doubly bad, pollution _and_ my hair was dark pink for _weeks!_"

"Hey, I'm not stupid!" The other Titans stared at Speedy wondering whether or not to comment.

"Yes, I believe you like the attention, adoring fangirls, presents, and that you are overreacting, Beastboy plays twice as many pranks in a day as Speedy does in a month."

"HEY that's worse than being called stu-" A hand was quietly placed over the red head's mouth, Bee put a finger to her lips wondering where he got the guts to interfere in a fight with Raven and Aqualad.

"It's horrible-" He started again newly enraged by her calm thought out replies.

The titans stood off awkwardly in a corner watching the furious exchange between their placid Raven and the now steaming Aqualad. They had been at it for only five minutes and already the sink had sprung a leek that gushed like a fire hydrant and, despite Raven's nonchalance, the couch was ripped in two.

None of the Titans knew what had happened. They had gathered once again to meet for one of their rare conferences, trying to improve their efficiency and such, when suddenly they heard a deafening crash. Rushing into the common room they saw Raven giving a glare so angered that not even Beastboy had seen it before, and Aqualad seething and shouting.

And, not wanting the tower to crumble into a pitiful pile of ruble they decided to try and break them up. Not much good that did though. So, they stood in an uncomfortable silence and Beastboy hopping the t.v. would go undamaged.

"Really?" Raven growled a tendril of darkness whipping out against the air. "What is _so_ difficult about being you?"

Aqualad laughed, a dangerous gleam hidden in his dark eyes. "Like you would understand."

She quirked an thin eyebrow, half from the truth in his words, and half from a annoyed humor. Titans East and the original Titans didn't really get together much, they were more acquaintances or individuals of like minds than friends. And if anyone was misunderstood, it was Raven, not the chiseled Atlantean that rivaled even Robin in popularity.

"Oh, don't believe me?" His hands were placed on his hips.

"What do you think?" The sarcasm as apparent as the other Titan's discomfort.

"Well then Raven," She shuddered, something about his voice... "I'll just have to show you."

He cocked his head and smiled, white teeth peeking out of a gorgeous lips. Then with a turn of his heel and a subtle he left. And if Raven wasn't so thoroughly confused at his sudden emotional swing, she would have blushed.

The Titans sighed breathes of relief, finally it was over, they understood nothing of the fight, not how it started or ended, but were happy nonetheless. But, Raven, was worried, and that, when caused by the teen's smile, was something new.

In all, annoying, honesty, Raven was beyond surprised. The lock to her door was changed constantly, the only other person who ever had the code was Cyborg, and that was only tolerated because he monitored the tower's electrical efficiency. Thin hinges that held her door to the thick metal plated walls were exchanged for bulky ones that made safe hinges look flimsy. So, how in the world had the Atlantean gotten in there?

"Morning Raven." Nonchalance clung to his words like the water that slid off him in beads. A towel was slung around his broad shoulders and he was whistling a quiet tune. It was as if she had fallen asleep in the common room, everything natural. He didn't act as if he somehow broke into her room after a morning swim no. Although that did bring up a question on how he was awake before her...

She pursed her lips not sure how to address the intruder. She opted for mild anger and suspicion. "What are you doing in my room?"

He smiled and noticed the unconscious tug at her midnight blue sheets. "Waking you up of course." He brought the white towel to his forehead, dabbing at the sheen of water there.

A quick glance at the small window above her bed allowed her thoughts to order themselves. "It's not light out yet..." She trailed off finally realizing that he was shirtless. Certainly that was good for a just awakened heart.

Shaking her head she covered her surprise with a glare that deepened at his smirk.

"Sorry," It sounded perfectly genteel, "I would have awoken you earlier, but I didn't think you'd want to swim." He flashed pearly white teeth in a gentle curve.

Her eyes fluttered to him. "What do you mean?" She could never understand what he was thinking. He blocked her out and she couldn't tell how, or why. But, in the end, she couldn't hear or feel what he was thinking, and right now, that was dangerous.

"I'll show you."

Tentatively she looked at him, skirting the edges of his chest and arms, not wanted a blush to soften her words. "What, I repeat, do you mean?"

"Get dressed, cause you're going to get a look into the life of Garth." Running the towel over his hair he grinned and sauntered out of her room.

She groaned, and realized, it was going to be a long day.

Cloak and leotard donned she glided down the stairs. The smell of breakfast was in the air and chatter not only from her own team frothed and bubbled like a volatile concoction. She sighed, _so much for that being a dream_.

She was worried, something that was becoming a bad habit, just like Aqualad. She couldn't fathom what he meant by, 'I'll show you' it was the same cryptic words he had uttered the other day. What could it mean? What was he doing in her room without a shirt? And why the hell had he referred to himself as Garth?

She shook her head and entered the common room and the oddest sight appeared before her. The room was almost, the chatter she heard crackled and hummed in another room and the kitchen was clean from Tameranean mixes and Tofu. All that remained was a cocky, smirking, man in a unitard.

"Ready Raven?" His hand slid over the couch as he made his way to her. The gleam of his teeth reminded her of a sharks.

She was tired of asking, 'what?' of wondering what he meant, so she waited. If he really wanted to screw with her head, at least she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of letting him know it was working way too damn well.

He chuckled, "You don't get it do you?". Passive rage reached him and he felt lucky for her own sense of resistance. He knew she didn't like being in the dark, well metaphorically, and he was pushing his luck, but he had found it was rather fun. But, he saw the twitch of her fingers, how her knuckles turned white, if he didn't stop he would end up like Beastboy would have if he was in her room. "Thought you were the smart one in the group."

Her eyes narrowed, just because she was smart did not mean she could understand nonsense.

He rolled his eyes, "I want you to see my life, show you that it's not all that perfect. That attention, kinda sucks." Pausing in his smile he watched her reaction. If it were any other of the Titans, he wouldn't have to worry, but with Raven... But, what he saw made him swallow a soft breath.

The understatement of the year: her eyes gleamed and he couldn't help but smile at it. He had not known Raven for very long, and he knew less about her than he should. But, that just came with knowing Raven, it wasn't like Aqualad was any different from the rest of her friends, if he could even be called that. Despite being Titans, Raven and he had not spoken much except for a few chance encounters. He knew that she once had a crush on him, but that wasn't new, not to be arrogant, but he had that initial affect on women, but once they learned he wasn't interested that faded. But, not with Raven, no he wasn't saying she had a crush on him, it was more of a mild interest at the teen who she couldn't read. No, it was that instead of her feelings leaving after finding a lack of interest, she just got rid of them, and that was fine with him. He didn't need anymore people unnecessarily clinging to him. So he was fine letting them just be acquaintances with silence. But, after a snarky comment about him basking in the limelight... Well he just couldn't let that slide.

So he had thought up a plan. Why not let her see into his life, and simultaneously get to know the mysterious bird that flew in the Titan coop. He was a gentleman after all, and it just didn't seem right not to get to know her. There was nothing more to it.

But he had to admit, that curious gleam in her eye was something wonderful.

"Fine."

His head snapped to her, and he realized she had been pacing. "You agree?" He was a little more than skeptical, he had at least expected her to question him some more, maybe ask something from him.

"But," She stared down his smile, "only if this can be a bet."

He remembered a saying he once heard, 'Consequences of the rip-of-your-head kind happen when you screw with Raven,' said by Beastboy and gulped. "A bet?"

She smiled, not the kind he wanted to see, but one made of off-kilter sadism. "A bet, you show me your life, _I_ show you mine. You said that attention is so bad and I don't understand you, well I say you don't understand me." She shrugged at this and he was amazed that the silent girl who's vocabulary consisted of Azarath Metrion Zinthos, and Shut the hell up, was talking so much. "So, whoever can't handle the other's life, loses."

He stared at her, questioning her sanity and his for not immediately taking her up on the bet. For, one Raven did not talk in anything more than four word sentences unless royally pissed, and he as a prince should know what that's like, and two, it sounded like fun. But, one little thought stopped him.

"What does the winner get?"

She smiled coyly. "Anything the winner wants."

And he was in, no one was stupid enough to pass that up and even if he lost what would she want. She was Raven, he could just have some Atlantean tome prepared or leave her alone for a week. For him... well think of the possibilities.

A/n: I thought there needed to be more stories about these two. It's short, but whatever, it's the first chapter, it should get longer.

Oh and late disclaimer: I don't own any of the Titans.


	2. Chapter 2

She hated to admit it. Really, _really_, loathed to admit it, but Aqualad's life, well at least in the morning, sucked. And even if that thought sounded peculiar, she didn't care, she just knew cleaning out a pool filled with those insta-sponge creatures, was torture.

"Then I'm going to rip off his other arm..." She continued muttering waist deep in a sticky spectrum of sponge and chemical capsules. And although it was the most disgusting feel on her pale limbs, she had to admit it was rather creative. Not that she would mention that while beating the arrow slinging teen to a pulp.

A laugh bounced around the tiled room and she glared at Aqualad. "What are you laughing at, you have to clean this up too."

He smiled at her and tossed another handful of sponges into a bright, blue, bucket. "At least I've got a helper this time."

She stopped to think about that statement, arms shoulder deep in what she referred to as unicorn vomit. "This time?" Wondering how many of the finite water based pranks Speedy could possibly pull. That and how Aqualad needed a better security system.

"This one's easier to clean than when he put salt everywhere. We had just got back from a battle." He chuckled, if not a little ruefully, "Stung like a Manta ray."

She barely bit back a chuckle at that, not sure whether at his pain, or at the how he should be used to it, he _lived_ in salt water. "And you didn't make him clean it up, why?"

A smile graced his lips, and she had to sympathize with women across the world, it was one thousand roses and the best pick up line in a crooked line. "Let's just say villains wouldn't take him seriously for awhile, not when all his arrows were shaped in hearts and little wings were super glued to his back."

Her arm dived back into the pale pink water. Somewhere during their conversation three more buckets had been filled. "No diaper?" she grinned softly, the edges of her lips just beginning to pull up.

"There's only so much you can do without seeing too much Speedy."

And there she laughed. Nothing long or spectacular, but for a blue-clad teen that was used to superficial giggles, it was sleigh bells in July.

Closing his eyes he dived into the sound just as it was cut short by a sarcastic quip.

"This isn't going to win you that bet."

He sighed and scanned the pool. She was right, surprisingly, the pool was completely clear of animal sponges. Usually it took an hour or two of angry grumbling to clean up whatever mess Speedy made. But, talking with Raven, the time passed so quickly and, at this rate, he'd never win.

"I've got all day."

Her eyes smiled although her lips where the epitome of apprehensive, "Well, at least from this, I know how to show a lady a good time."

Ignoring the obvious sarcasm, he smiled, and made his own personal bet to couple theirs. He wasn't sure what made him make it, maybe the challenge of making those thin lips change. Maybe it was because he wanted to become more than an acquaintance. Or for sheer amusement. But, perhaps he could make Raven smile, not from joy from the pain of others, but just from being around him. So, in her own sardonic way, she was right. He would show her a good time.

"Then, come with me."

"So..." She drawled out keeping her midnight booted feet in time with his, "You're everyday life includes you going to a museum."

"Hey. I'm an educated young man." He looked down at her bobbing head, her bright eyes locked on a thin wire sculpture. It had crossed his mind multiple times in the short thirty minute trip to the museum, that he really should have gotten to know Raven sooner.

"M-hmm, one that opened yesterday."

He smirked "It's a new routine."

She walked along the long beige halls, fingers skimming over brass tablets and their intricate writing. Who could blame him for bringing Raven here, it wasn't in his daily schedule, but she fit in like a dark blue paint stroke on a night-sky portrait. And as he watched her feet slide silently over the sun stained ceramic tiles, he was sure he made the right choice. It was better than video gaming anyways.

"Hm..." She hummed softly and tore her eyes away from the black and white still shot, "So, say I believe you, which I don't. How does this win you the bet?"

No, it wasn't that he had forgotten. Not in the least. "Over here." Grabbing her arm lightly he tugged her towards the art gallery, where he might have called in prior to them arriving. No, although he was beginning to have some fun with Raven, it wasn't like he had forgotten the bet. There was a reason he chose a museum to take Raven to. If he wanted to find a place where Raven looked at home in, he'd chose a book store. Nope, the museum had a few more, perks than home or a quaint book shop could offer.

She looked up at the side of his head. It was an odd angle. She was used to flying, viewing everything from a bird's eye view, or looking someone in her blunt way, in the eyes. Not many Titans would drop their hyperactive movements to stray from the group and just walk beside her. And, as hard as it was to believe, she kind of liked it.

"Aqualad!"

The sharp voice pried her from her thoughts and she saw, for lack of a better word, women. In every corner, squished together like the morning's sponges in the pool. Chattering and swooning, in heels or dresses, from socialite to heiress, they all had something in common, their eyes clung to Aqualad's body. And then snapped to her, malice twinging pink, heart eyes.

"Aqualad!"

"Honey!"

"Sweety!"

"Dear!"

Every adoring sobriquet was thrown through the air with startling accuracy. Hitting the teen's pride and the little bits of shrapnel trying to burn Raven. In other words, it was quite obvious what they though of her, and those seemingly cordial names, where double edged.

She glared up at him, wondering if his plan of showing her how _hard_ his life was, was having her trampled by six-inch stiletto heels. What she saw was far from what she expected. He looked pale, and that was hard to do when you were a sun and salt tanned Atlantean. Yet, as each woman let long fingernails trace down his chest, a cringe twitched from his fingers to his back. And as she watched him slowly huddled back against the wall, eyes starting to question the sanity of bringing her here, she began to feel a little pity. But, with a quick afterthought, only at his poor decision.

Yet, that was quickly squashed when one of the women jabbed her with a platinum nail file, and ripped it down her cloak. Then her pity became anger.

"Aqualad, who's the creepy girl in the corner over there?" One woman, pearls draped over her shoulders in place of a shawl, mewled.

"Really dear..." The woman tutted, hip jabbing into Raven's, "She's so scary!" Her eyelashes batted off Raven's glare.

If Aqualad wasn't as uncomfortable as she was, he would be dead, not Beastboy twice dead, but something new and, if possible, even more horrific.

"Mmm, sweetie, I loved seeing you last night."

Raven's eyes snapped to his. Was this how he showed her his ultra terrible life, by flaunting some random hook-up to her? What did that prove, that his life was so bad because his sex life was better than hers?

Her eyes darkened and the lights began to flicker. The girl's only sign of noticing was when they clung to him nearly moaning about a fear of the dark.

It wasn't jealousy that drove her to what she did. Sure, their chirping voices that dripped honey and venom annoyed her. Of course being pushed into several walls, eyes almost as terrifying as her father's striking at her, and quick flicks of nails up and down her body nearly drawing blood, were beyond irritating. And yes, although she hated to admit it, the way they clung to Aqualad purring like cats in heat irked her. But, what pushed her over the edge was that slowly, he was getting to her.

Being cornered by women, sucked. And getting out of there, even if it meant agreeing that _some_ attention was completely unneeded, was a top priority.

Pushing through the crowd like only an angry half-demon Raven could, she snatched Aqualad's hand and phased them away. A smile crossed her lips as she heard the cries of distress and disappointment.

Outside, in the wonderfully quiet air, they stood panting.

Aqualad looked down at her, already gaining back his warm color, "Thanks."

She grinned and tugged at her disheveled cloak. "Never, do that again."

He smiled and tucked a stray violet lock from her face. "You've got to admit," he purred, as she grabbed at her hood, "that women in love is a dangerous, and _difficult_ thing."

"Sure," Her smile grew, "but you haven't won yet."

Brushing off the near visible wafts of perfume on his clothes, his grin turned conniving. "I have all day, Raven, I have all day."


	3. Chapter 3

Raven blew the hair from her face in exasperation. It was late at night, and normally that wouldn't bother her, but that night Aqualad dragged her up to the top of Titan's East to just, stand. Raven was tired, she didn't like to admit it, but being with the titans had put her into a routine, wake up early with a cup of steaming herb tea, deal with the titans as they awoke, perhaps fight, eat, play, sleep. It was something no one else realized, but Raven had become accustomed to the titan lifestyle, going to a museum and getting attacked by girls broke it, and tired her out.

She rolled her head to the side and leaned heavily against the railing. The rooftop breeze admittedly felt nice, but even within her dark cloak the cold bit against her skin. She felt a delicate shiver go up her arms and breathed out a cold white mist.

"Cold?"

Quirking an eyebrow Raven scowled. "No."

She winced hearing his laughter, pure disbelief coated in sugar. "Right, Raven." He trailed a finger up her arm. "And these goosebumps don't say otherwise."

He smiled as she glared at him. His eyes were different in the night. Just as dark with that humming undercurrent of blue. But, there was something else, and her empathy told her that it was not simply the light.

A smile crossed her lips. "Are," she pulled her hair back, the wind had long ago flipped her hood against her shoulders and she didn't care enough to put it back. "you alright?"

She caught the controlled shake that went through his arms. It must be cold in a skin tight unitard. "...No."

"Sure." She crossed her arms and turned back to the scene before her.

In the corner of her eye, she saw him lean slowly over the railing.

"Pretty, isn't it?"

She nodded pushing the thought of his eyes from her mind. Really, she was no love-struck school girl, what was happening to her. She drew in a deep breath.

"Not much compared to the _real_ Titan's tower though, right?" she saw his soft smile and knew he was joking, but...

"No," she smiled softly, a real Raven smile. "It's beautiful in its own way."

And she meant it. The wind was harsher in Steel City, but it let the sweet and tangy smell of salt and sand sweep through the air. It was louder, the clang and rumble of machinery ripped its way through the dark, but it was like a deep lullaby. Perhaps a few nights there, and she might get a headache, but at the moment, Raven thought it was rather comforting.

She turned back to him, just for a moment to meet his skeptical eyes. "Really."

He shook his head, and his hair, which she had somehow failed to notice, whipped around him. "Sure Raven."

Then, it turned awkward. Neither really knew what to say, or at least one of them did not. Raven continued staring through half lidded eyes at the scenery. She looked like she was meditating.

Aqualad on the other hand, was stewing in something he didn't quite understand.

An urge, one that had never haunted the back of his mind before, let alone with every thought he had, to touch Raven.

It sounded odd even to him, and it made him wince mentally whenever he caved to the urge, even the slightest. He had managed to push it into a tiny corner of his mind at the pool, even at the museum. But seeing her with jealousy, it made him peculiarly happy at her slip in emotional control. Her grabbing his hand didn't help at all either. First, he had to touch her hair, and in the few seconds it took to wrap it behind her ear, he noticed how soft it was. The silky feel of amethyst on his fingers and the lingering scent of yellowing books, lavender, and soap that caught against his skin, it made him sigh and smile.

Even when he managed to calm Raven's glare on the way back from the museum, he didn't know what to do. So he brought her back to Titan's East. He lost against Speedy on his new video game, he couldn't stop glancing away from the screen. And night eventually fell, and it was the only thing he could do to keep her there. The bet.

He had to admit, he was beginning to forget about the bet. But, if Raven found that out, he'd get that sly grin of hers and have to face a slow melodic question. And, she'd never understand that she wasn't the only one with a not so pleasant past. She wasn't the only one that wanted to become something else, something that had no connection to her parents. Until she realized she wasn't alone in that, he couldn't let it be known that the bet was now, second priority.

"It's almost midnight, Garth."

He whipped his head towards the sorceress, torn out of his reverie. He noticed she was speaking dreamily, her awake half barely dominating her desire for a good night's sleep. "Yeah?" He paused watching her shake with a near nonexistent yawn, and thought for the nth time that single day, that he should have gotten to know Raven a very long time ago.

"It's almost midnight."

A sigh blurred his sight and joined Raven's cloudy breath in the dark air. "Yeah."

She smiled and he sucked cold air into his lungs.

"Tomorrow," She placed a slim finger against her chest, "it's my turn."

The drumming beat of Steal City's factory speckle land, seemed to skip a beat.

"See you, bright-" Her soul self began to whirl into the air, black fading into the inky night. If he wasn't watching so closely he mightn't have caught her slight hand wave. "and early."

His eyes watched where she disappeared from for a moment when Speedy walked out onto the roof stretching with a silence shattering yawn.

"Yo, Fishstick, I thought Raven was up with you?" He wiggled his eyebrows, "Doing anything fun so late at night?"

Aqualad shook his head not hearing a single word Speedy said. "I'm so screwed."

"Yeah you are!" Speedy grinned and scratched his bright red hair. "Wait, why? Hey! Dude, where're ya going?"

Words bounced off of Aqualad's back as he trudged down the stairs, metallic thunks hiding a small murmur. "I think I like Raven..."

"Raven, welcome home." Two masked eyes met Raven's and paper's rustled and clicked against the table.

She lifted her weary head. "Up late, Boy Wonder?"

He gave a knowing smile. "Work."

"Like always."

"Thanks, Raven, thanks." He shuffled his papers and set them aside. "Having fun with Aqualad?" He pushed himself away from the counter, checkered pajama bottoms skimming the tiled floor and poured Raven some hot water. Glancing behind him he placed a single tea bag into the water and shut the cupboard.

"I guess that could be one way to describe it." She nodded in thanks and took a slow sip and scowled. Steeping, yes that was what tea needed. "How are you?" It was the polite thing to ask, and despite her fatigue, she was in an oddly pleasant mood.

Robin stared at her and if he had no mask Raven would have guessed his eyes were colored quizzical. "You're in a good mood."

Raven sighed.

"Ah." He pursed his lips.

"It's fine. I had a good day." She gazed at her tea, thin wafts of steam were just visible. Taking a sip she breathed quietly. "Goodnight Robin."

He stared at her as she glided away, her hood down and hair tucked impeccably neat behind her ear. Robin had known Raven for a long time and knew more about her than anyone else. The silent cues of her posture and facial expressions, her slight tone changes. He even knew her sarcastic laughs and mirthful laughs from each other. So as he saw the quick flick of her cape escaping around the corner, he knew for Raven, she was happy. She lacked the glimmer of light from when she finds a new rare tome, or the light twitch of her lips or full blown smile of a sardonic joke, but she was, pleased.

Robin grinned and stuffed his papers beneath his arm and murmured, "G'night Raven.", and knew through their bond, she had just heard him.

_Knock, knock... thump._

A groan echoed through the room mixing with the trip and rush of water. "Merf." He rolled onto his back hiding his eyes with a well placed arm. The morning light drifted through the barely open window. Aqualad could smell the cold salt on the air, and cursed. Morning was there.

_Knock...knock._

"Hmm..." Reaching for his pillow Aqualad groaned. Soft, the light was too soft, what time was it?

"Aqualad?"

He jumped out of bed and stared around his room. Water lapped at his bed as it always did, low laps against the rocky floor. Water dripped from the ceiling making plink plonk noises that rippled through the room. Raven knocked again and he stared at the door.

"May I come in?"

Morning, and Raven had come to visit him. He paused running a hand through his hair before sliding through the water.

Pushing a green round button he opened the door, and it all came back to him. Raven.

"Good morning, Aqualad, it's my turn."

It was Raven's turn.


	4. Chapter 4

There were several things that Aqualad could imagine that Raven could have forced him to do. Some of them were pleasant, yet completely impossible, and others, less impossible, and so much less pleasant. Yet among his collage of thoughts, he never pictured that meditation was what they would start out with.

And he also never imagined that it would be so damn hard.

He couldn't float like Raven could, that was a given, but focusing his mind without idle thoughts swarming his eyes like a fog, was hard. It didn't help that the empath could tell when he did think of swimming in the sea anyway, that resulted in less than pleasant punishment. That, and, it really was difficult to blank out like that without dozing off, which also resulted in an annoying whack to the head. Really, he knew Raven was a heroine, but she could really hit hard.

Sighing he pushed the pain from his mind and tried again. Perhaps if he succeeded he might find some peace. Raven's quick little glances at him were... thought provoking.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, in, the smell the warm steam of herb tea wafting through the crisp morning air. Out, he peeked through his eyes, Raven was somehow watching him and meditating, he remembered her describing it, and he wasn't sure if that was possible. In, tea and air, and, how could he somehow smell Raven? Out.

Opening his eyes he noticed her smiling. "W-what?" He shook his head, lavender and shampoo. He realized she had just showered. There went all hope of him meditating. He pursed his lips and waited for her answer.

"You are getting distracted." If it wasn't for her eyes, he would have been sure she was angry.

"Is it that easy to tell?" He chuckled lightly and ran a hand through his hair. Hopefully she wouldn't make him try again, with his eyes closed he could ignore her smile and eyes, but her scent was so much more, obvious. Damn sensory deprivation.

She stood up, the sweep of her cloak against the cement caused him to stare at the ground. "Empathy has its..." She bit her lip, something that made him grin, it made her pale lips just the lightest pink, "advantages." Flicking her wrists she brushed off the back of her cloak and gestured for him to stand. "I think we're even now, so it is time for the next event." She smiled.

Quirking an eyebrow he stared at her. Odd as it might sound, he didn't quite like the look of that smile, "Even?"

She smiled again, less smirk and more pearly whites, and that one, he had to share. Turning on her heel she flipped her cloak behind her. "You can't meditate, I don't like be-clawed, heeled, women."

With that she nearly skipped and strut into the tower.

Of course he had to follow, what was a friend to do?

He chased after her velvet soft steps.

Raven could strut? How many other sides of her had Aqualad missed?

"I-83.5." She murmured softly, running her middle finger over a worn, leather bound spine. The pages fluttered a whispered reply to her and she gently closed the book. The gold inlaid title gleamed in the filtered light and the motes of dust in the air spun in a slow waltz.

"Over," Aqualad gestured with a swing of his thumb to the right, "there, right?" He pushed against the floating pile of books in annoyance. Two hours of cataloging books, and he still hadn't gotten the hang of how Raven sorted them. It was like her mind, perfectly organized, but only to the amethyst eyed girl herself. To him, and to most likely all the rest of the living world, her mind, and this damned library, was an enigma. Blatantly clear what it was -her thoughts and the library- a culmination of wisdom and intelligence from the musty corners of universes, yet incomprehensible in how it worked. And both of them irked him, for really he did want to understand them, both of them.

She sighed, half in amusement, half in exasperation. "Above actually." She pointed upward, a short clipped nail tracing the outline of several bookshelves suspended in the air.

"Now that's not fair." He hadn't thought to look up, stupid really, first day of Titan's training, look up first, villains are always hiding above you. He stared at the shelves, or really lack there of, they were floating in neat rows just in the air. Only black boxes of wood cropped one area of floating books from the other, and those were only suspended by hair thin wires, which he supposed were there for when Raven left, otherwise they'd come crashing down.

Raven chuckled, and somehow it fit with the slightly cool and quiet room. "Remember: 'I' means above, anything 40 and up refers to tomes, and if it has a decimal..." She trailed off and smiled at him, slowly raising them both off the floor.

"They're rare and 'don't damage them, or else'." He rolled his eyes jokingly and rifled through the pile of books rising off the ground with them. "How many books do you have?"

Pushing the book in hand into place, she looked around. The library wasn't in the Titan's Tower, it was one of the few places that were Raven's alone and were accessible by portal only. Surprisingly, it wasn't a dark room, an indiscernible light source lit up the long area and a chill could be felt in any corner or corridor. It smelled of books and the air tasted like it just blew from an industrial air conditioner.

She picked up another book. "I add to it whenever I have the chance, and most of these books are salvaged and are from old archives. The exact number changes often, yet," She carefully read the title and skimmed the book, "around two thousand would be a fair approximation." Raven muttered another letter and number, "K-135."

Aqualad whistled and the sharp noise shot through the air and disappeared in a lonely corner far off. "K-135? How do you get these things?" Reading off a cover he vaguely noticed the bookshelves whooshing past.

She didn't seem to really be listening to him, her eyes only saw the books rushing past. "The letter is to where it should be placed, which is by genre. The number shows how old it is, the higher the more antiquated, not necessarily obsolete mind you, a decimal means even with it's age it is even more rare, and from there I order them by author, if it is noted of course." Their flight slowed gently.

He rocked back against the pile. "And, why'd you start this?"

They lurched forward.

She chewed on her lip, and he wondered if he had asked the wrong question.

Slowly, they began moving again, the black cloud beneath their feet slithered along.

"Most of these books" She spoke carefully as if painstakingly choosing her words, "are from archives, different worlds." Aqualad put down the book he had been examining.

"And...?" he prompted watching her closely.

"I archive them because their own world can't." The implied meaning was clear, or at least she hoped so.

He looked at her strangely.

"It, just doesn't seem right" Her eyes seemed darker, sad, angered, he couldn't really tell, "for a home not to be remembered."

"Rav-"

"Z-52."

He didn't know when she picked up another book. When she skimmed through the pages with her thin fingers tracing the random word or page that caught her interest. Or even when she had delicately decided a letter and number for the book, but he felt the air sweep under him and the conversation dropped.

And he knew she couldn't have skipped those steps, she was Raven. He was beginning to really know her, and she wouldn't have skipped those parts, not unless something was really bothering her. Something.

Watching Raven carefully he thought of what had happened in exactly three days. He had pissed Raven off, and she, him. They both thought the other as something they weren't, and truthfully they were both in the wrong. Neither knew about each other, at least Aqualad thought so. He had never seen Raven smile, his thoughts were that she was a cynical, sarcastic, introvert that didn't put the slightest effort into getting along with others. She was always in a corner when he saw her, her lips forming cutting remarks or a stony scowl. He believed full heartedly in what the media told about her, except for the romance rags.

Yet, now, he saw her smile. Not at someone's (Beastboy's) pain, or at a victory. She smiled at him, at droll jokes. He noted that she was smart and organized, and that she had a mean walk that could catch the eye of any one. Along with that, he saw she wasn't cruel, or perhaps on the lower level, mean. Nor was she indifferent. She was something else, something he had yet to place.

His hand fell to his side as he realized he was rubbing off the title of a book. He pushed it to the side, hoping she wouldn't notice.

In the quiet, he watched her, still lightly tensed and, perhaps a little jittery, and wanted to know more. Yesterday, he had learnt that she knew very little about him and that he regretted not knowing her sooner. Today, he knew he wanted to know more. And, today wasn't over.

But, that wasn't going to happen in the hour of silence that passed.

Finally, he had to speak.

"So," he hummed, "we're even?" Apparently books were off the table for conversation. He had tried her favorite genre, the facade of the library, even silly characters from his favorite children books, yet anything that remotely brought them back to why she was archiving, was shot down. So perhaps something that caught his attention would urge her to talk?

A delicate purple brow rose, and he took that opening and ran with it. "Even. Remember I can't meditate..." He grinned hopefully it would lighten the mood.

She nodded, a careful smile waved on her face. "Even."

He saw her taste the word on her tongue tossing it between her teeth like a hard candy and tried to urge another answer. "What about at the pool, cleaning up after Speedy has got to count for something!" He started to shout then shut his mouth after a quick glance from Raven.

"I live with Beastboy."

"So?"

"Stankball and pranks out-rank a pool full of sponge capsules any day."

He opened his mouth, then snapped off his retort and settled for a, "Ri~ght. I forgot about that."

They floated through the library. It was quiet, but this time, neither really cared.

Raven closed her eyes and looked out the window, it was noon. "Another point for me, would you like to get some lunch?"

Aqualad grinned, "Sure, but what do you mean you get another point?" Bet, or food, he held bets high up, especially around Speedy.

"Tell me, where does Q-45 go?"

One could almost hear the curses his mind uttered. "...fine, but no fish foods."

"Mumbo. Titans! Move out!" Robin rushed from the common room as the tv screen fizzled to black.

Raven sighed as both Titans teams rushed from the tower. Lunch had ended in a soda explosion curtesy of Mas y Menos and Speedy teasing each other, and of course Beast boy and Cyborg goading them on behind face fulls of pizza. Raven really just wanted to sit and read a while, sending Aqualad off to be Stankball referee in her place. She hadn't forgotten the bet, she just went at it with a little less zeal. But, no, Mumbo of all people had to attack, and again at a typical bank. She was pretty sure it was the same one as the last time.

Groaning she remembering being a rabbit, Cyborg and Beastboy never let her live it down, although a quick mentioning of pink tutus shut one up. But Starfire always cooed, 'Raven' at any white long eared animal. Mortifying.

One might think that Raven would dread another villain higher up on the Robin scale, but world destruction compared to being a fluffy white rabbit. Which one was really more terrifying to her? If one needed a hint, she would always remember the last destruction of the world. With friends, she could take care of that, being a bunny rabbit. Not so much.

A shiver went through her, then saw something that might make her day a little better.

"Where do you think you're going?" She gazed at Aqualad one foot in the bay, one out.

"After a deranged criminal?" He flinched seeing sadism in purple.

Grinning, she grabbed his hand, "Nope, you're flying." With a little laugh, she yanked the black haired blue eyed boy off his feet and into the air.

"Raaagghh-"

She sighed with glee, nothing like terrorizing someone to win a bet.

Beastboy looked up and changed back from a large green hawk. "Did Raven just laugh?" Cyborg was looking up in fear, and overprotection. Starfire and Bumblebee where somehow giddy with glee. Either way, neither of them replied. "No fair, dude!"

Robin shook his head, obviously not caring. "Just get going."

She flew through the air, smooth as always, but perhaps just a little higher than normal.

"Raven?"

They were over the city and she could already see money being thrown into the air along with a shower of confetti. Mumbo flamboyant and annoying as ever.

"Raven?"

Closer, she could just see his stupid big blue nose. That dreaded top-hat that-

"RAVEN!"

With a jolt she nearly dropped the teen. How many fangirls would hate her then?

Looking down a strange thought occurred to her. Aqualad was sea based to wrap things up with a neat little bow, he wasn't land based per say, but was he comfortable being in the air? If what the media said was true, than he was perfect in every aspect a gentleman with no fears except for the people. She looked down.

Aqualad was paler than her, and for someone sand, salt, and sun kissed, that was something. "Raven, put me down, please." Oh the paparazzi, such a picture a pale atlantean would make.

She looked out and saw that Mumbo was so close, the other Titans already there. Flying a little lower, she whispered, "Hold on." So much for kicking some revenge into a blue magician. But, she couldn't help but feel the need to make Aqualad feel better.

"Are you okay?" She gently lowered him to the ground. He wobbled a bit but eventually steadied himself.

"Maybe?" He asked more to himself than to her. Heaving forward he looked up at her. "Talk, please?"

Why would that? He began to turn green, something, something to say?

"You know, Aqualad." He looked up at her and she realized he was trying to distract himself from his air sickness. She nodded. "I have realized something while talking with you."

She carefully extended her powers calming him down and ebbing away at his nausea.

"I had some, misconceptions about you. They are faltering now, and I see no reason to try and keep them as they are. I was pulled in by what everyone else thought. Your perfect smile, the gentlemanly way you would talk. Everything. It was like you were shining, not the way Starfire did, does, but it was mellower. The way waves shine at night."

She started to pace, not realizing her powers were withdrawing. Not noticing Aqualad was smiling, completely healed, and like her having absolutely forgotten about some random bluish magician.

"I guess I was blinded, I guess no one else has noticed that you're not completely gentlemanly. You are polite, but laid back. You eat like a pig, play curiously crude pranks, and" She chuckled a little, "are hilariously bad at flying."

He was still smiling, a fake look of hurt on his face when she looked at him, then, back to a wide smile.

"Although I have yet to see anything incredibly difficult in your life, I admit, it isn't as perfect as I thought it would be. The fame, those... women, and the airs everyone has you put on. When I see you on tv, well, you are an entirely different person." She smiled. "And you are easy to be around, a great friend."

At that he deflated a bit. And the nausea crawled back into his stomach. Was that not what he wanted to be. He wanted to get to know Raven better, be a friend of hers. But, that word, friend, it didn't sound right to him.

She looked into the air and saw a blue streak fly through it. "Mumbo!" Her eyes widened and she jumped into the air and looked into his eyes, too hyped up about forgetting the battle to notice the conflicting blue in his eyes. "Do you want to swim?"

He nodded mind slowly refocusing on the matter at hand. He waved her away and she glided off swiftly.

He shook his head and jumped into the water. The fresh cold awakening him and a sudden realization.

He had come to like Raven.

He liked Raven.

A/N

I'm really sorry for not updating this recently. I could list several excuses, but instead, here's a chapter that's longer than all the others! Yay! I have to note that Raven's a little OOC but it's on purpose, for as you all might notice, when I write although in third person, one character's thoughts are shown predominately. So this chapter was more of an Aqualad chapter, and ironically when it's Aqualad's turn again for the bet, Raven's thoughts will be the focus. Yet, next chapter more will be illuminated.

Anyway, sorry for not updating. yay!


	5. Chapter 5

Ducking beneath a rather annoying torrent of cards, Raven cursed. They weren't a problem for her on a normal day, even taking into account the oh-so fun side ability of them being razor sharp, she could easily dodge them. Quick duck to the right and boom, she could strike the blue skinned pest into next week. But, she had found ever since her little 'disagreement' with Aqualad, she had become unfocused. Right after the bet initiated, she was off kilter, cattywampus, straight out without concentration or understanding. Raven blamed it upon her lack of meditation at first, but just that morning she had a blissfully calm moment of silence, but it hadn't helped at all. Quite actually, she found that her focus dashed away from her as if she was anathema. Taking that into consideration, that left only two conclusions. Either she was losing her powers to some unknown force -and when it came to the titans that was actually a likely possibility- or Aqualad had captured her... attention.

She growled low enough not to be heard and was glad her hood covered the resulting snarl and glint of her teeth. To relieve a bit of anger, she tossed a car at a darting magician. Sadly, it was blocked by a fire hydrant spouting flowers, how that worked she didn't know, and didn't care. It did nothing to soothe her festering rage.

Her eyes flickered to the right, an unconscious move so quick, that even without her hood, no one besides the most attentive would have noticed. But, when she paused and stared, frozen, that was another matter. Her eyes met a certain Atlantian's and she couldn't move, it was like staring her father in his four eyes, but gentler. She couldn't place it and it was difficult to with the new cacophonous rumble in her mind, or was that the battle. She didn't know anymore her emotions and mental stability were in such a whirl. Tearing her eyes away in guilt, or perhaps reluctance, she refocused just in time to dodge several playing cards. If she wasn't so confused, she could have sworn she had seen a Joker with a happy-go-lucky sinister smile. Like that wasn't prophetic. She sighed and looked forward wanting to stab something, but concentrated nonetheless.

It was a dance now, an unending weaving and spinning against partners of gloves and presented be-thorned flowers. The titans were beginning to tire, but Mumbo was unmoving not a bead of sweat across his sickly blue skin. If that did not bring questions to her mind or Robin's, she wasn't sure what would. Somewhere along his escape from jail and this subsequent battle, he had grown stronger, before, conjuring the white gloves that were even taller than Cyborg was difficult to maintain, even inside of his black velvet hat world, he couldn't have used them for battle priorly, only for a razzle dazzle song. Now, there were several rows of the silk challengers and even the two Titan's teams were having a bit of a problem. It was a tad foreboding seeing the change and she met Robin's eyes, he had noticed. It was time to get serious.

Projectile after projectile embedded themselves into white silk, yet the walking gloves paid no heed to the annoyances. "Titans, Formation Alpha!" Robin shouted throwing another of his signature birdarangs with amazing precision. They rushed to their places amid the flurry of battle, and Raven let out a string of expletives.

One would assume that Titans East wouldn't know what Formation Alpha was, with them having their own leader, strategies, and manor of fighting, but that would be incorrect, and sorely so. The monthly meetings the teens shared was not just for pleasantries, no matter what Speedy or Beast Boy said, but for strategy. And just like the anal attentive Robin was, he covered exact stratagems when they came together. Every one of them had memorized all 43 formations and attack patterns, and Raven had to groan at the odds of it.

Of course this particular one would place Aqualad and her together working in tandem, and him right behind her, where she could feel his gaze.

She flew forward taking her place at the back preparing to cover any and all that needed it and noticed those blue eyes staring at her. She, with a bit of strain, strictly ignored them and scanned the battle.

Robin charged forward whacking away any and all projectiles with his bostaff while under the cover of Bee and Starfire's cover. Cement shot up into the air like little fireworks under the bright yellow and green shots and soon petals were struck into the air, purple, scarlet, orange. Their flower foes, that had sprouted from the concrete here and there were shot into clouds of blossoms. They wavered and flew around making up for the dissipating smoke in a gentle fall of petals.

Blue shot through it vaporizing the delicate blooms, and Cyborg's cannon swept across the field, allowing Raven to fly forward. She dodged cards and flowers and knew her skin would be bruised from the wreckage spitting into the air. She heard Speedy and Beast Boy following. Mas y Menos were no doubt braving the blinding fray somewhere nearby. Not too far away she felt an explosion and curled her cloak around her. How the mayor allowed them to do this to the city for protecting a few thousand dollars, no doubt less than the extensive damage they were causing, she would never know. She shoved an uprooted fire hydrant away with her powers and squinted through the geyser of resulting daisies, tulips, and roses. Aqualad was, somewhere around her, she didn't care to search.

"Take that Titans, I Mumbo will now make his magical escap-"

Raven saw a flash of green through the haze of flower and rock. The following high pitched shout signaling it had just nicked the villain. Mumbo seething at his halted monologue conjured several more glove minions to charge at them, effectively intercepting Robin, Starfire, and Bee. A seltzer spray shoved Speedy and Mas y Menos all back. Beast Boy was entangled in a vicious dance with a moving talking daisy. That only left of course Raven and Aqualad. She glanced at him, just to make sure he was there, and he smirked. Flash of teeth bright white in the tumbledown storm of petals and concrete, it was stirring. Something _turned_ in her stomach and she sped up her flight leaving debris and scarlet petals in her wake.

"As I was saying, I The GREAT and POWERFUL Mumbo-"

He didn't finish, Raven pounced. For once, she had chosen the more physical approach and dived straight into Mumbo's chest, catapulting him into the very glass doors of the bank he had broken out of. She heard the snap of his wand and felt his power seeping into the air and away. It reminded her of her own powers, and as the sparkling dust that settled around her, she had a desire to punch the magician for good measure, even if it wasn't exactly heroic. Before she could start a now routine ethical battle something all too familiar slammed into her.

The wind left her as petals, cards, and building parts fell around her. If it didn't sound quite so absurd, it would have seemed like one of Starfire's novels. The light fell around her creating a halo across her hair, or something like that. She sucked in a breath, finding that far more easier than releasing it. Hopefully she hadn't gotten a broken rib, that was the last time her chest felt so heavy, but this felt a little softer, she moaned.

"Ow~".

It surprised her when another moan replied. Injuries were never quite that polite to her. Holding her breath -which was lightly forced- she glanced down, hoping she wasn't going to find what she expected.

Black and blue not bruises, but something far worse.

"Argh..."

Aqualad.

"Is everyone okay?", both Bee and Robin called trying to take a roll call and inventory of any injuries. Classic procedure and she expected it, but for some reason, she didn't exactly want them to catch her with a barely conscious Aqualad flung across her chest. Even if it was a battle caused situation, it irked her.

"Over" She braced herself and drew in a deep breath with a bit of difficulty, and pushed with all her might. She would have used her powers but her focus was dwindling faster than she had presumed. "Here!" Flinging the teen off of her and onto a -probably- soft spot of not shattered concrete she winced just the slightest at his groan. She struggled to her feet. Taking a swift look, Raven noticed that throw had put him into completely from the waking world at the moment.

The shuffle of feet approached her and she ripped her eyes away. Robin's mask peaked through the last of the falling petals just as she turned to meet his eyes. "Are you alright?"

She nodded and gestured lightly towards her teammate, "He, on the other hand, may need assistance."

A single eyebrow rose just above his mask. "What happened?" It wasn't everyday one of them ended up incapacitated, but Robin was perceptive, he knew, or rather heard, Raven take out Mumbo before Aqualad had dived in. Unless he had rammed against the bank's walls, he should have still been awake and cheery.

Raven shrugged. "Nothing excluding the usual." Relief flooded over her. It may have been unkind to say, but with Aqualad, out of commission per say, she could already feel her control coming back to her. That may have been a fortunate happening, no evil and ambiguous plot involving her powers and control, but that just posed more questions. If past experiences were worth anything, Aqualad's emotions were screwing with her control, on her powers, and on herself. She nodded towards him with a calm air. "Perhaps there was residual magic in the air around when I broke his control over his powers and Aqualad was caught up in it." It was a reasonable response, and saved face for both him and herself. Really, what was she supposed to say? Instead of attacking the villain, Aqualad tackled me to the ground and knocked his head into my ribs, thus splaying himself across me in unconsciousness, and then I threw him, onto the sidewalk. Yeah, even in Raven's blunt and honest book, that wasn't an acceptable answer. She waited for his response quietly.

Robin shrugged and tilted his head to the side and Raven allowed herself to scan the wreckage of the battle. It wasn't clean, not the little business directed block nor the battle. No one would be able to drive on this street for a while, not with the potholes and uprooted streetlamps scattered willy nilly. And several someones were going to be royally pissed at the sight of their cars, four were crushed, two , melted beyond recognition. That was semi-normal, and Raven was sure there was a special insurance policy dictated 'Titan Destruction Preventative' so she didn't worry too much about that. What did worry her was the sudden increase in Mumbo's power. Unless he got a new powered up wand, Mumbo had gotten otherworldy help. And with her luck, she knew which one it was.

"Well, we better get him back to the tower and patch him up. They go home in less than a week."

Raven snapped to attention. "Pardon?"

Robin examined her quietly, surprised by her lack of knowledge. "They're leaving this friday, y'know, four and a half days from now? I guess you and Aqualad got caught up in your bet, huh? They normally only stay for two or three days, but it'd been unusually calm in Steel city and they decided to hang out with us for a while." He turned to where she was looking and began cataloging the damage for their reports. A frown marred his features as he saw the devastation that clawed through the block and Raven remembered several of their late night talks. He too questioned whether they were doing real good, if they should just leave some things up to the police. He turned back to her a smile now quirking at his lips. "Ah, speaking of which, how is your bet going with Aqualad?" He regarded her with a sense of vague curiosity, that was his familiar detective mode. Something about their bet, _amused_ her normally prim and proper leader.

She sighed, not pleased at the turn of the conversation. "Not very well, I admit. There always appears to be some sort of, obstacle. I have made some discoveries which have been eye opening, admittedly. But, that only means he is winning." She said the last word with distaste. Raven had many bets with the other titans, it was a common thing really with a group of teens looking for something to do, and she took pride in winning a large majority of them. Those, though, were about little things, like whether or not she could beat Beast Boy at Super Monkey Ball 3, or could eat more of Starfire's cooking in one setting. This, hit closer to home. She did not appreciate someone calling her life easy, or that she hid from things she could easily face. Especially compared to some heartthrob pretty boy's life. "But, I will not concede."

Robin chuckled and shook his head lightly, spiked hair waving softly, "Let's go, we've left him on the concrete long enough." Red colored Raven's cheeks and she was happy for the dark shadow across her face, she had kind of forgotten he was there for a moment. "Oh, and Raven, the T-car's a little full, could you fly him back and take care of him? Thanks." He pivoted on his heel and trotted away before she could respond and with a sinking feeling, she approached the unconscious teen.

She sneered. "No problem, Robin." Focusing her mind, she wrapped her powers around Aqualad. Wispy black snuck around sea blue and she started. Her powers recoiled before she could calm herself, and she took a deep breath. His dreams were leaking into her powers when she touched him with them, she cursed. A hurricane of emotions shredded her apart. "No problem." There was only one way to go about it then, she'd have to carry him, and make a tentative go at flying. If she focused she could use just the smallest amount of power to keep them aloft, and hopefully, the skin on skin contact would be a little less, harming.

Pursing her lips, she carefully gathered the boy in her arms, and felt a dull buzz. Not the shock of her powers, her soul touching him, but strong feelings grazing across her pale fingers like a dampened electrical shock. A sigh escaped into the air and she repeated not for the last time, "No problem."

**~0~0~**

"Mrupplea" He groaned and shifted, flexing his fingers and toes carefully to regain their feeling. His head felt like a swollen blowfish with the spikes turned inward and his back ached quite uncomfortably. He shook his head as if to dislodge the feeling, it just felt like the balloon swelled and pressed further into his skull. Pressing his head further back into his pillow he could feel something soft draped across him.

"Mmh." Blinking his eyes open he smelled the familiar scent of antibiotics and sterilized metal. He was in the infirmary, which was good news, probably. He reached out swatting his hand randomly across anything near him, cotton met his palms and the smell of detergent wrapped around him. Breathing in slowly and deeply he took in the comforting aroma, the infirmary sheets, just washed. Then he caught something different, but all the more pleasant.

Lavender, accompanied by something earthy and strong, oh, how could he forget, tea, and by the rich warmth it gave the air, it was fresh. He breathed in deeper, reveling in the prominent yet gentle fragrance. A sigh escaped his lips the first sound not born from pain.

"Aqualad, are you awake?", a soft voice, melodic voice, murmured. An unknown voice until recently, now something, he realized, was a comfort. Like huddling down in one's bed, unable, or unwilling to get up and face the day. "Aqualad?" So compelling that voice. "Open you eyes, I can sense that you are awake." A smile in the voice.

He licked his lips feeling parched, and cracked open his eyes.

"It appears I was correct. Are you feeling alright?"

He smiled not completely understanding what the voice was saying, the pressure in his head still ever present, but being calmed like a lonely beast being soothed by warm music. Now, instead of just knowing it was a nice voice, he realized it was female, and friendly if not a little concerned.

Shaking off the dregs of sleep, or unconsciousness seeing as he was in the infirmary he propped himself up on his elbows. Breathing in again noting the scent of tea grew then faded away, perhaps the cup was moved?

His eyes fluttered open and he saw lilac and amethyst.

"Raven."

It came out before he even knew what was happening, he didn't even recognize the face before he said the name. But then, it came flooding back. Mumbo.

_The fight had dwindled, the smoke gone, replaced by vibrant petals bright enough to blind. Several had gotten stuck in his long hair and he had gently pulled it out. It was purple, from a common place wild flower, pointed at the top and a lighter color at the bottom, the color of lilacs tinged pink. He looked through the flowers, catching a quick glance from Raven, which he smirked at in return. She had quickly turned her head and he smiled, still unsure. His fingers had unwittingly begun sliding across the petal, it felt like velvet, it was warm._

_ He looked back down, memorizing the point and delicate silhouette of the petal, faintly thinking that if it was part of the whole flower, he might have overlooked it, but on closer inspection, the singular piece was oddly intricate and, _beautiful_. A blast of wind knocked him from his revery and he searched around, suddenly remember that there _was_ a battle going on. Gravel hit him head on, twirling petals in the vortex of wind and debris, and he saw her blue cape, waving at him in a swift farewell._

_ Without a second thought, he chased after and no later, he heard a shatter. Glass shot past him nicking his skin here and there as he lifted his arms in a reflex to guard his face. The blast was short lived, and the shards came down only in powder as if the large shards were pulverized by an unseen force. It fell softly in a shiny mist that would have surely made him cry had it gotten into his eyes. He looked forward, searching for Raven, and there she was._

_ In a mist of glass and scarlet and purple flower petals, she looked fiercely down at Mumbo. A smug grin slid onto her face and an almost feral glint flickered in her eyes. He saw her fingers flash through the air at her hip, curling and uncurling into and out of a fist. She looked a little angry, and that fierceness slipped into her smirk and he dove forward. Call it a reflex, or some sudden direction from his overacting mind, he just had to get to her and fast. The light reflected against the falling glass, twirling around her to form a circle about her feet. It looked like those magic circles, the ones in rune writ books, the ones that appeared when Raven soared away in her soul form. It looked as if she was leaving in the whirl of battle scraps, fading in and out of sight stolen from sight by petals. And he simply had to stop her. So he lunged forward and collided with her and it all went black from there._

_ He couldn't see anything, the obscure feel of his mind escaping him was there, but a warmth directly below him was on the fringe of his senses. A rise and fall, like a rocking, waved beneath him as he tumbled further into the darkness, and he swore he could hear a low feminine groan. He tried shifting his body, pain shot through his head and groaned in return. His fingers clawed at the little bit of him that was awake, wondering what was happening. Then he felt himself shift, a swing in the dark that slammed him into a cold hard surface which ultimately usurped his control and sense of being. All that was left, spinning and a lingering, soft, warmth._

Aqualad groaned, unsure of where he was again, and felt thin warm fingers settle on his shoulder. They fluttered there flitting about like butterflies, unsure whether it was alright to land or not, and he popped awake.

"Aqualad, I asked if you were alright." She sounded as if she were just about to call for help and he piped up.

"Yeah," he tried to sit up and failed miserably, "just a little dizzy." His eyes searched around, definitely the infirmary. He saw that it was indeed Raven sitting beside the high hospital bed. Her hand had slowly withdrawn from his shoulder and he could just see it begin to rest upon the metal handrails of the bed. He shuddered, her hand was warm, without it a ghost of a chill ran across his back.

She chuckled and he dragged his eyes towards her, they swam across the room like they were pushing through sticky thick honey. He saw her smile, the pout of her lips pulled taut into a strained grin. "Aqualad." She sighed and it fell away, dropped like an unwanted burden. Her eyes whisked downwards. "I'm sorry." She looked strained, and the sudden jerk of her head upwards made him flinch. "I didn't mean to throw you that, hard. Or I did, I just..." Her hands shivered into the air and turned into claws, battling for the right words. They fell defeated onto her lap. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

He watched her fingers fiddle atop her lap, and she looked small and slightly afraid, like the apology stung. "Hurt me?" He asked, puzzled. How had she hurt him?

"When you, tackled me?" The corner of her mouth lifted up, as if she was remembering a silly joke. "I threw you off of me, I was a little angry, well, more frustrated than anything, and I took it out on you, for that, I apologize." She met his eyes, and although he didn't think much of the event, actually he didn't even remember it, her dark purple blue eyes looked honestly repentant.

He grinned, although in the back of his mind he wondered how difficult it was to apologize to him, she didn't seem the 'I'm sorry' type. "It's fine, Raven, you don't need to apologize, we're heroes, it is nothing I can't handle." His eyes narrowed a bit as he tried to measure her reaction to his words. Her mouth pursed at the word hero, but beside that she seemed to relent to his acceptance. "It's fine." She looked relieved and she dropped her gaze downward again.

"Still, I wanted to say it." She straightened her back with those words and his grin widened, flashing pearly teeth. It seemed to fit in with the white facade of the medical room with its white cabinets, sheets, and curtains. He hoped his smile would become a natural thing for her to, he didn't really know. Perhaps accept or, maybe, want?

"That's fine, Raven, but- Argh" He gripped his head, it thrummed and pulsed and the veins in his temples felt like they would explode. It was back and seemingly intensely worse. "But, mind if you helped me with this?" He pointed at his forehead pleadingly.

She chuckled dryly. "Headaches I can relate to, but," A sly smirk appeared almost out of nowhere on her face. "I think you need to feel what it is for me to heal. See how, difficult it is."

He squinted and pushed back the drumming, which was more like a ticking bomb in his head than a simple headache in his opinion. It should have been expected, that there was a catch, not that he wasn't curious about her healing abilities, he was pretty sure all of the titans were, but he was apprehensive. If she was bringing it up as a way to show how difficult being her was, it couldn't be a pleasant experience, and that in itself brought pain to his head. Questions fizzed up to the front of his mind on why she would heal if it was unpleasant, but it couldn't be too bad if she did it anyways, right?

"Take my hand."

If he wasn't a bit shocked by that, then he was probably still unconscious and dreaming. "Pardon?"

She appeared to be a little distraught at that, as if she didn't want any questions to her blunt request. Sighing she enunciated her next sentenced with measured precision. "It is not a difficult direction, take my hand." Thin fingers, a palm hidden behind black cloth and a bejeweled latch holding the silky material in place. He remembered the feel of it, back when they were escaping from his rabid fans, and even in the chaotic mosh of women's screams, it felt safe and wonderful.

Fingers wavering above the cotton sheets, he slowly lifted his hand to meet hers, resting atop the metal bars.

"Now close your eyes."

He did. In for a penny in for a pound, right? Sliding his eyes shut, taking a minute to examine her through his lashes, he closed his eyes and felt the chill of the room. He had always found it odd, that the room would be cold when injured or sick people were supposed to be relaxing there, wouldn't it make sense for them to be warm and comfortable, not freezing their ass off? His other hand scratched at the bed a bit, it may have been better if more blankets were provided, but only one blanket, albeit a very nice and soft blanket, was given. It was a wonder how no one, a.k.a. Aqualad, got hypother-

"Ah-" He felt something tugging at the back of his mind, a drawing and pulling sensation. It hooked at the pain, which he barely kept at bay with mental ramblings, and drew it back and away. And slowly, but surely, the bubbly that pressed at every corner of his head was drawn out and left a lightheadedness behind.

"Shh." Aqualad could feel the shift of the air as she lifted a hand into the air to quiet him. "Wait. The best part is next."

Curious choice of words, he thought, but waited nonetheless, not like he had anything else to do though. The pulling continued like a tug-o-war over pain, and thankfully his own head was losing. But then, a sharp pain pierced his forehead, a driven nail through the soft skin between the eyes. He winced and nearly drew his hand away from Ravens. She stroked her thumb against the back of his palm and shushed him gently. He morbidly wondered if this was the 'best part'. He shook his head and focused on the tugging, not the pain in his forehead throttling his brain, or the needle being threaded across the skin of his temple.

Pain, torture, pain. He struggled to concentrate on the back of his mind, the calming sensation of the pain washing away, but the crash of agony against his forehead was screaming for his attention. His jaw began twitching, and he heard Raven sigh.

And suddenly it all stopped.

All of it suddenly vanished into thin air as if it was never there, and the remaining hollowness felt, eerie. It wasn't as if he was accustomed to the pain, he wasn't sure how long it was there, shorter than he thought it though no doubt, but the sudden disappearance was, unnerving. He searched his mind for it, wondering if he got Raven's meditation down and had simply compartmentalized it somewhere else, but he could only find the gentle pulling at the back of his head. And that too, disappeared, but slowly with a definite end.

"There." Raven sounded pleased, "You may open your eyes now."

They snapped open. The bright lights of the infirmary blinding him momentarily.

He couldn't hide the light hysteria in his voice, "Wh-What was that?".

Raven appraised him silently and he only held back a second question from the look of her eyes. They were calm and a little sad with, with something else in there too that he couldn't place. She smiled a bit, not a droll smile, but one of reluctance and sorrow. "That is how I heal."

"How you he-" His eyes widened and he imagined a giant loop. She had removed his pain with gentle words and coaxing and taken it suddenly. It did not arrive to her in the gentle stream it left in, but in a gun-shot bullet of it. And she had redirected that pain back to him, and it hit him right between the eyes. "That's, horrible."

She smiled, her eyes softening then flash froze into hard crystalized ice. "No, no it's not. I can heal and help my friends when they are hurt." Her smile grew, but her eyes remained hard and trapped in their sorrowful gleam. "That's all I really want to do."

Aqualad stared at her a moment. Did the other Titans know that her healing caused, _that_, caused her pain beyond what her patient was feeling at the time? He just had a headache, what about broken bones, lacerations, burns, or crushed organs? They had all happened before, and for all he knew, Raven had healed a majority of them, what did she feel then, and did they notice? And, if Aqualad knew her as he liked to think he did, the answer to that last question was no. She would hide it behind a perfectly practiced mask and a dark blue cowl, and no one would ever be the wiser.

And that brought up the question, why did she share this with him? To win a bet? Doubtful and impossible.

He closed his eyes and slowly brought them open after a deep breath. This wasn't the time for questions, if she wanted to share, as she had just shown, she would. "Thank you." He didn't know what that was for: the headache, for sharing, or healing when she knew it would hurt her. Any of them would fit, and some would be more appropriate than the other, but like her apology he wanted to say it. "Thank you."

She smiled, and a glimmer appeared in her eyes, it was that unplaceable flicker of before, but stronger. Racking his brain he attempted to place it, it seemed important, but, she stood up.

"I will tell the others you are awake, but," She was searching for the words again, but she didn't look desperate for an answer, "take it easy."

Before he could respond she had whisked out of the room, the grey door sliding into place behind her with a whoosh and click. It had palpably told him, that was all for today, everything about the bet was over, until tomorrow, and that was his day. He smiled listening to the click's connotation, he needed to show her something about himself, something to meet what she had shown him. It was an unspoken necessity, and he would answer it loud and clear.

**~0~0~**

"Are you alright?"

Aqualad shot up in bed and shook his head, purple and blue fading away from behind his eyes. "It's my day, why are you waking _me_ up?" His hands clung to the blanket around him. If Raven was that eager to get through and done with his day, she could have just chosen to bug him longer on her's. Although he had to admit, he had an idea in mind for his day. But, he needed rest for it, it would be arduous for both of them.

"What?" It was clearly a male's voice.

Aqualad cleared his eyes and stared at the person before him, a domino mask, and bright colors. Not Raven. "Ah, sorry, Robin, yeah, I'm alright." He blinked a few times testing if he was really awake and flung away the blanket wall he had built around him. "What's up?"

Robin shrugged and swung around the bed to sit in the wooden chair where Raven was previously. He looked uncomfortable but determined, his mask that defied physics warping as his eyes moved and blinked, like it was glued to the lids hiding determined orbs. "It's about Raven." Aqualad choked, glad had been eating something, it would have become a splattered decorative art piece across the white sheets. He was going to talk to him about _Raven? _Whatever brought that on, couldn't be good.

"Uh-yeah?" He swallowed and tried not to choke on air. "Might I ask, _why_?"

Robin scratched the back of his head and the white part of his mask was drastically diminished. At least he seemed a bit wary on the topic as well. "I've noticed that in the past couple days you've been acting, different." Aqualad bit back a curse, of course Robin would notice the detective who analyzed people in his sleep. But, it wasn't as if this were bad, he could just play his emerging, feelings, as growing friendship with the dark bird, not a peculiar wanting that made his heart melt into a sticky puddle in his chest clogging up his joints and freezing him in place. That way an overprotective mother Robin wouldn't pound his face into the training room ceiling.

Aqualad opened his mouth and closed it, that didn't sound like simple liking anymore. "Different? Like how?" He swallowed. For the second time since he met Raven he was infinitely glad for his female stalkers, and perhaps the male ones too. He could now smile and look as suave as he wanted, even when he felt there was an imaginary gun against his head. And if he went about this wrong, perhaps a literal one, everyone knew how protective Robin was over Raven since the legendary Trigon incident. He tried to avoid what he could only assume were searching eyes.

Robin propped elbows up on the side of the gurney. "You froze up in battle, and although it was difficult to see, you were staring at her. That's not like you, next to Bee, you're the most hardworking Titan in Steel city, not to mention your definitive point not to stare at girls to prevent, 'uprising in the masses'" Robin leaned forward in the chair, putting more weight on the thin mattress and it creaked noisily. He eyed the teen in bed trying not to be intimidating, that wasn't the point of this conversation, but he knew how threatening it was to be in that bed. It was very hard to make a quick escape from, he knew that first hand. Noting troubled blue eyes, Robin raised his hand and continued in the ensuing silence. "And that's not it, just this morning you were dealing with Cyborg, Beast Boy, Speedy, and both Mas y Menos, with a smile, all to make sure they didn't bother Raven. In terms of personality, you are the most like Raven in Titans East. You like your solitude and take things seriously, if you can avoid it, I know you would skirt away from those five, but you sought them out to afford Raven some peace and quiet." Robins mask was rising little by little atop his eyes as he went on, his points becoming rushed.

Aqualad was having difficulty understanding what the leader was saying, let alone making a defense towards it. "I-... it was part of the bet." He winced hearing how pitiful that sounded.

Robin of course, noticed too. "They weren't even in the same room, Garth." Damn, he was using Aqualad's real name now. This was a real conversation, not a I'm-the-Leader one, and during those, everyone was eventually guilt tripped into admitting something _personal_. Curse Robin and his interrogative powers. "Not just in battle, but ever since this bet started, the way you look at her has gone from coworker to _something_, more. The look in your eyes is softer, and you keep gazing at that same spot, even after she's left." Robin paused and glanced at Aqualad measuring his reaction.

Aqualad looked down, and tried to find something to say. It didn't seem like Robin was blaming him for anything, and that was surprising. He figured if Aqualad was ever going to admit his feelings, as tentative as he thought they were, that he would be met with out outrage, or something akin to disappointment in him. This was, surprising, Robin cared about the job of heroism more than anything. Aqualad thought that anything that might even possibly lead to a relationship or unnecessary attachment, would be killed the second it was recognized. But, thinking about it, perhaps the one he should worry about was Raven. He kept his mouth sealed, but lifted his eyes to meet Robins masked ones.

The leader pursed his lips as if he himself were dealing with a personal problem, not attending to Aqualads. "I think I'm the only one who has noticed so far, but, expect Bee and Starfire to come question you further down the line, the later one with a bone crushing hug," Robin seemed to unconsciously wince at that. He spotted Aquald's look of confusion. "When it comes to feelings, Starfire's the queen, the only reason I noticed sooner was because you were displaying them in battle."

Aqualad couldn't help interjecting, "And you notice everything during battle." It sounded bitter.

Robin sighed and smiled at the teen before him. "I'm not mad or anything, just be careful, okay. I know about what it's like, trust me on that and don't ask, ever. But, I had it easier, you've got Raven, who has a half mechanical older brother, a shapeshifting younger one, and a sister who will blast you into next week. In other words, break her heart and we break you." He smiled a little too happily at that statement.

"Uh-" He couldn't continue, his jaw was drifting close to his collar bone.

"My big brother moment there." Robin began to stand, then looked back for a moment at the befuddled Aqualad who found a sudden interest in his hands. "You do like her don't you, Garth?"

Aqualad looked up in surprise. "Yeah. More and more so, I'm finding out." He took a deep breath and discerned the vague scent of tea still lingering in the air, and nodded.

"Good, I'll catch you later, okay?" Robin began to walk out of the room, the heavy metal door just beginning to slide away from its frame.

"Wait, Robin!"

He paused, hand situated between the door frame and a crushing feeling of his fingers. An eyebrow poked up above his mask and he looked undoubtedly uncomfortable and if he could be called so, antsy.

"What was the point of you coming to say that?"

The teen's release of air was audible and Robin reached a hand to wipe against his brow. "Like I said, I've been through this before. Raven knows me best, and I know her just as well, though she might deny that in public." His smile was a bit rueful, but Aqualad knew he was seeing a rare moment of sentimentality from Robin. "When I needed help, before I even knew I needed help, she'd be at my side giving sarcastic and seemingly uncaring advice. But, it always helped. Without her, my sanity might just be dead and gone, and I'd be hiding in a cave literally glued to a computer." He ran a green gloved hand through his hair and smiled. "I guess it just helps knowing there's someone there to talk to, if you need it."

And with that, Robin nearly sprinted out of the room leaving a befuddled Aqualad in the wake of the talk. He grinned to himself, then leaned back into the comfy pillows and quietly wondered why he was still there. His headache was completely gone, every snippet of pain washed away. Maybe Raven hadn't told anyone about healing him, or maybe she just forgot. But he realized after a little unwanted help from the other bird, that he was in deep with Raven. Too deep to even begin playing it off for a mundane crush.

Outside the room, several corridors and turns away, Robin felt a little guilty. He had said everything he wanted to, and he was sure after that last question Aqualad knew that he now had a confidant, albeit a bit of a reluctant one. But, he knew this would add drama to the everyday lives of the Titans, and there were only four days left that Titans East would be there. With the added facts that there seemed to be something sinister, as always, bubbling in the underground crime world, and that it seemed Aqualad had pretty much forgotten the bet for something more meaningful, things were going to get much more interesting in Titans Tower. It would be fun to watch, Raven coming to realize someone was courting her, but something was coming, something not so fun if put into far less ominous terms. But that wasn't why he felt guilty. He had purposefully neglected to tell Aqualad, or at the time Garth, that Raven had stared at him too, and she had frozen for just as long.

But, as the second older brother figure, Robin shrugged it off. He would help Aqualad, but watching him earn the right to know Raven would be far more satisfying, for all of them.

**~0~0~**

A/N: This one's pretty long, huh? My computer actually broke, my laptop, so I went to my old one, no internet, and typed this up during the break. So when my laptop came back this was created! I hope my future chapters will be like this one, cause it's a lot more sophisticated than the past ones.

But, ignoring that, this one reveals a lot more about Raven's shifting personality as she comes to terms with her own changing emotions. And~ Aqualad knows his feelings are changing! And so is the story, before the story was lacking some plot, although I did have this planned at the beginning, but it was more light hearted and kind of filled with crack ideas. So you can kind of imagine everything before this as more of a prologue.

Now Aqualad has Robin to question and hound for answers about Raven, but this leaves Raven with questions and a need for answers.


End file.
